Chapter 41 - A Surprise Prize

Joshua spent most of the night in the bathroom, washing his face and trying to stop the bleeding from the claw marks. Then, knowing that the others would notice the scars and ask what happened, Joshua did something he knew he would regret. He snuck into the girls' bathroom, found a makeup case left by Hagakure, and then put some flesh-covered powder all over the right side of his face. He then left, feeling mildly embarrassed for going into the girl's bathroom. Afterwards, he went up to his dorm room, and fell asleep… to no avail.

All through the night, Joshua tossed and turned. And when he couldn't sleep, he stayed up. He would also pray, but it would only remind him of Eon had told him. And Joshua didn't want to tell the others that he was the son of a villain; they wouldn't understand, and they would hate him for not only being evil, but for also being a liar. He could honestly admit that he loved all of them as his friends, and that he didn't want them to lose the faith they had in him, if they had any.

When he couldn't stand lying in bed, Joshua would sit on the floor and look out the window. He would stare up into the night sky, and wonder why it had to be like this. He wished that he could just shed who he was, and forget about everything that was happening. But he couldn't leave, and he couldn't run away; that would only cause more trouble for his friends. And he couldn't go back to being evil; he loved being a good guy more than anything now, and he wanted to stay this way.

He began thinking about all that happened since he and the other Americans came here: Meeting Class 1-A, the room contest, watching movies, going to the mall, listening to music and dancing, laughing and sharing stories, meeting Jiro's parents, showing Jiro his music, him and her sharing a kiss for the first time, him admitting to Jiro that he loved her…

"Kyoka." Joshua said silently to himself, as he sat on the floor.

He then took a breath, got up, and began pacing around the room, wondering what to do. Soon, Joshua became tired, and climbed back into bed. This time, he fell asleep, despite it not being a peaceful sleep. But, being the son of a villain, Joshua was used to not sleeping in peace.


The next morning was a Thursday, Class 1-A awoke as usual. They had breakfast, got ready for school, and then went to U.A. After morning classes, they had lunch, and then it was back to the sparring matches in Gym Gamma. Endeavor had returned to watch the sparring matches, and it was the same as yesterday.

The first match, Milo chose to spar with Tetsutetsu, to which Milo won by trapping Tetsutetsu with his slime. Apparently, Milo had eaten some green apple jello before the match, which help him despite his hatred of jello. He also used what he learned from the match between Mineta and Yusuf, which involved keeping his distance, and letting his opponent underestimate him.

The next match, Barnaby chose to spar against Ashido. However, things did not go in his favor, as Ashido was able to use her acid to melt the tendrils of his hair! She then moved in, and was able to knock Barnaby down and pin him! Barnaby admitted defeat, and Ashido was victorious! She then showed good sportsmanship by helping Barnaby get up, and he thanked her, and congratulated her.

The matches continued on, same as yesterday. Then the twelfth match came up, and Annabelle chose to face off against Yanagi. The match ended in a draw, as both of their powers were similar, and they couldn't outdo the other. Finally, the thirteen match came up, and it was Joshua's turn. Since he and Todoroki were the only ones left, that meant they were going to be the ones to face off. Endeavor took personal interest in this battle, considering that his own son was going to be fighting.

"Okay, when you're ready!" said Vlad King, who was refereeing the final match. "Begin!"

Joshua activated his quirk and began moving in to attack Todoroki, dodging his ice and fire attacks! However, at certain points, Joshua became distracted by his thoughts, and would often get hit every now and then! When that happened, he made sure to get hit by a fire attack, and not an ice attack; if he got hit by the ice, he would be trapped!

After shrugging off getting blasted with fire, Joshua would move in to attack! With wild claw swipes and vicious kicks, he was able to land some blows on Todoroki! Todoroki would then go on the retreat, and use ranged attacks of either ice or fire!


"Joshua's distracted." said Matthew, as he sat on a bench with Jiro and Shiozaki, and watched the fight.

"How can you tell?" asked Jiro.

"Notice that he stops at random intervals, and allows himself to get hit by one of Todoroki's attacks. If Joshua wasn't distracted, he would be dodging those attacks instead of getting hit. Something must be bothering him…"

"His soul does seems troubled." Shiozaki spoke up. "I wonder what's wrong?"

"I don't know, and I don't think he would tell us. However, he may tell you, Jiro, considering that you and him have grown close."

Jiro nodded and replied, "I'll talk to him about it."


The fight ended with Joshua getting frozen by Todoroki, to which he admitted defeat. Todoroki then melted his ice, and both he and Joshua joined the crowd of students. Endeavor, Aizawa, and Vlad King came forward to speak.

"You all have done well with these sparring matches." said Endeavor. "You all held your own, and those who won have proven their strength. And to those who have lost, you kept cool under pressure, and still tried your best, despite the odds being against you. These qualities show that you will all be great heroes one day, and I am proud to have witnessed these battles…"

Endeavor moved back, and then Aizawa stepped forward to speak.

"Alright, before we dismiss today, we have a couple of announcements." said Aizawa. "First, tomorrow is Friday, and it will be Parents Day. That means, your parents will be visiting the dorms. Please be on your best behavior, especially you American students; your folks may not be with you on that day, but you do represent them. Second, for taking on their students in our school, Justice High is doing something special for us: they are paying for, all fifty-two of you, to have one day passes to the amusement park, Zoo Dreamland."

Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and the American students all let out cheers at that; they were getting free passes to an amusement park! Aizawa then raised his hands, and everyone quieted down.

"We'll be going Sunday afternoon, so we'll meet at U.A and board the buses to go to it." Aizawa spoke up. "As I said before, you are all supposed to be on your best behavior; you are all students of U.A, so act like it, please. Now then, hit the showers, change back into your uniforms, and then head to your respected classes. That'll be all…"

"Yes sir!" All students replied, before heading to the showers.


After having showered and gotten dressed, the students went back to their classes. The teachers informed them of what they would be doing for the next hero class, and then dismissed them. The students then left the school, and began heading back to their dorms, chatting about how much they were going to have at Zoo Dreamland. However, Joshua wasn't chatting or joining in on the conversation; he just hung behind and looked at the ground.

Upon seeing him like that, Jiro came over to Joshua and asked, "Hey Josh, you okay?"

"Huh?" Joshua grunted, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You don't look okay. What's going on?"

"It's nothing, Kyoka. I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

"You sure? During your sparring match with Todoroki, Matthew noticed that you were distracted by something."

"He's perceptive, I'll give him that. But I'm fine, as I am just tired. All I need to do is take a nap, and I'll be okay."

"To tell you the truth, I'm tired as well; Lucy can really put up a fight, even though her quirk only allows her to make sweets."

"Yeah, she's sweet as a person, but sour as a fighter. I think when I get back, I'm going to change out of my uniform into my regular clothes, call the couch, and take a nap."

"Sounds like a good idea. Mind if I join you?" Jiro asked.

"Sure, I don't mind." Joshua replied, putting his arm around Jiro's shoulders.

Jiro smiled cheerfully at that, and Joshua was also smiling now. The two then walked along with their classmates, as their day at school was coming to a close.


Joshua opened his eyes slowly, and looked around; it seemed as if Heights Alliance was deserted. Even though the other students were either hanging out in their rooms, out on the town, or just doing regular activities in general.

It was now afternoon, sometime before dinner, if he guessed correctly. Joshua then looked and saw Jiro, sleeping on the opposite side of the couch. She looked so peaceful and serene when she was asleep. With a small smile, Joshua got up from the couch slowly, and then yawned and stretched. He then picked up Jiro's U.A tracksuit jacket, which she had discarded before she took a nap, and draped it over her sleeping form.

As he walked away from her, Joshua felt kind of bad about lying to her about why he was distracted. He would apologize, but he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he decided to leave a note of apology. After rifling through a filing cabinet, he found a slip of paper and a pen. He then sat down at the kitchen table, and began writing out a small letter of apology. The letter he wrote went like this, though it was just a draft:

To Kyoka,

I'm leaving this note, as I don't want to wake you from your nap. I'm hoping we have a good time at Zoo Dreamland this Sunday, along with Class 1-A, and Class 1-B as well. I'm sure it'll be fun, and it does seems like a great place to hang out.

Anyway, I'm leaving you this note because I feel bad for lying to you. I'm not only tired, but I'm also worried, which is why I was distracted today. The reason I'm distracted is not an easy one to tell you, but I have to. So, the reason I was distracted is because my father is here in Japan. That doesn't sound so bad, except that he is

Joshua stopped writing; he shouldn't tell her on paper, but in person. With a sigh, he put the pen down, crumpled the note, and slipped it in his pocket. He would throw it away while he was out, as he didn't want anybody to find the note and question him. With his mind feeling a little jacked up, Joshua decided to go for a walk and clear his head.

After finding his white and blue sneakers, Joshua slipped them on, and then exited Heights Alliance. He then went through the gate, and began walking down the sidewalk. It was a peaceful afternoon, and Joshua enjoyed the serenity as he strolled along. He felt good, like he didn't have a care in the world. Maybe that was all he needed to get away from his troubles: a nap, and then a stroll.


When he was good ways away from Heights Alliance, Joshua pulled the crumpled note from his pocket. He saw a trashcan that was by a bench on the sidewalk, and he threw the note in it. Joshua was about to walk away, when he heard a familiar voice speak! Upon hearing the voice, a chill went up his spine, and his blood went cold!

"You should pay attention to your surroundings, boy." said Death Wish, his tone villainous. "You never know who could be around."

"Pop." Joshua replied, his tone somewhat nervous. "What do you want?"

"Just came to check how that scar of yours is doing; looks like it faded away."

"It's makeup. I had to put some on in order to avoid any questioning from my classmates, thanks to you."

"Next time, don't be a traitor, and I won't have to scar you like that. Speaking of traitors, did you leave that girl?"

"Yes." Joshua replied, knowing full well it was a lie. "We're not together anymore."

"Good. Now to business; Shigaraki has informed me that the Nomus are ready. All we need is a place to turn them loose and attack, and the plan will come to fruition! So, know of any places to attack?"

"No sir, I don't know of any places that we can attack them at."

"Oh yeah? And what about that crumpled paper you threw away?"

"What crumpled paper?" Joshua asked, trying his hardest not to sound frightened.

"That crumpled piece of paper you threw in that trashcan. What does it say on it?"

"Nothing! It's just a wrapper from some food, that's all! I put it in my pocket when I absent-minded!"

"Then you won't mind if I look at it, then?"

As soon as his father took the top off the trashcan, Joshua made a lunge to stop him! However, his father dodged his lunge, and shoved Joshua away! He then looked in the trashcan, located the piece of paper, took it out, and un-crumpled it! Joshua's expression turned to horror, as he realized that his father was reading the note that he was planning on giving Kyoka!

"So, her name is Kyoka." said Death Wish, his tone taunting. "I'm guessing that you were going to use this to breakup with her?"

"Well, I was-" Joshua was about to respond, only to get punched hard in the gut by his father. He let out a groan and bent over, only to be kicked in his head and sent rolling to the ground.

"You little wretch!" Death Wish growled, slamming his foot into Joshua's stomach. "Apparently, Stone-Fish isn't the liar here, you are! You lied to your father, your own flesh and blood! You're still with this 'Kyoka' girl! And, you are planning on joining her and the other… students at… an amusement park…"

An evil grin spread over Death Wish's face, and he took his foot off of Joshua, who slowly got back to his feet. Death Wish began laughing an evil laugh, and Joshua froze in place; what had he done?!

"You did it, Joshua!" Death Wish spoke, his tone amused. "Despite your traitorous attitude, you given us the place for the downfall of Class 1-A, and Class 1-B! Shigaraki will be pleased to hear this!"

"No!" Joshua yelled, his tone panicked. "There will be pro-heroes there, and they'll be guarding the classes!"

"We can handle a couple of pro-heroes! And, with All Might retired, nobody will be able to stop us! Not even that good-for-nothing Endeavor will be there to stop us, as he'll be too busy crying over the fact that he'll never surpass All Might's status as legend! Yeah, you really did it, Joshua! I'll make sure to put a good word in for you with Shigaraki!"

"No! I want to be a hero! I don't want to be a villain anymore! I wanted to do the right thing, I want to be loved! I'm tired of living in the shadows, of always having to fear if that I'll end up in jail! I want to be free! I want to be a hero! And not you, not Shigaraki, not Stonefish, none of you villains will stop me!"

Death Wish was silent for a few seconds, before saying in a dark tone, "So… that's how it's GOING TO BE?!"

Suddenly, without warning, Death Wish activated his quirk and lunged at Joshua! Joshua didn't even time to react, and he ended up on the receiving end of a severe pummeling! He was clawed, punched, kicked, smashed, you name it and it happened! It lasted for a minute, and by the end of it, Joshua had crumpled to the ground! He was bleeding from all over, and his entire body ached in pain from getting attacked!

"You can't escape this life, Joshua." Death Wish snarled. "Like it or not, you're my son. All you are is a villain, and that's all you're going to be. After Class 1-A and Class 1-B are finished, we're going back to the states, and there you'll learn to love being a villain again. But until now, stay out of the way, or I'll beat you so bad, this pummeling will seem like a massage…"

Death Wish began walking away, let out a villainous laugh, and yelled, "So long, Death Wish II! And thanks for your all your help!"

And then Death Wish was gone, leaving Joshua alone and on the ground. Joshua tried to get up, but every time he moved, it felt like he was on fire! He was in such pain, that he couldn't even cry or make a sound, because it hurt so much!

"God…" Joshua croaked, trying to speak. "If… you… are there, help… me. Please…"

"'And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.'" said Eon, suddenly appearing before Joshua. "Matthew 21:22."

Eon then knelt down, and put his hand on Joshua's head, and Joshua's wounds began healing! After a few seconds, it was if Joshua was never attacked! Though his clothes were torn and tattered, his body was perfectly fine now! After making sure he was alright, Joshua stood up, with Eon helping him up.

"You knew all along, didn't you?" asked Joshua. "Why didn't you stop my father? Why didn't you stop this from taking place, if you knew it was going to happen?"

"I was told not to interfere at this point." Eon replied. "I was only told to give you a warning that this would happen. The choice is up to you now, Joshua Rourke: stay quiet and let your friends die, or say something and save them."

"But if I tell them that I'm the son of a villain, I'll lose my friends! Please Eon, you've got to help me!"

"I can't make the choice for you. To quote Bad by U2, 'If I could, you know I would'. But, only you can make this choice, Joshua. Don't worry; God is watching over you, and he loves you, no matter what. He'll help you make the right choice…"

"Wait, Eon! Wait!"

But he was gone; he had teleported away like it was nothing! Joshua let out a yell of frustration, and he slammed both his fists into the ground! At this moment, he wanted to break down and cry out, but he couldn't; growing up as a villain, he had lost the ability to cry…

With a sigh of defeat, Joshua picked himself up from the ground. Slowly, he began walking back to Heights Alliance. He didn't know what do, as his father now had a plan to destroy the students of U.A, along with the American students! What was he going to do now?!

It seemed hopeless, and maybe it was…

Author's Notes: For those who are wondering, Zoo Dreamland is from MHA School Briefs 1. It's an amusement park that Iida, Tokoyami, Kaminari, and Mineta visit.


Heroboy005: No jokes this time.

Ralphie: You sure?

Heroboy005: No.

Ralphie: Just one?

Heroboy005: (Sighs) Alright, fine. Anything to break through this darkness.

Ralphie: Okay then! Did you ever hear the tale about how I shot an elephant in my pajamas?

Heroboy005: And how he got in your pajamas, you'll never know.

Ralphie: You've heard it before?

Heroboy005: Yeah, but nice try anyway.

Ralphie: Thanks.


R&R,

Heroboy005